We're at the halfway mark of 2011. How's your business doing? This month, we've got great tips on what NOT to do with social media, how to use some social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to improve your visibility, and, in honor of Father's Day, a piece on what Brandon Yanofsky learned from listening to his dad talk to (or yell at) Customer Service. We hope you can pick up a few useful tips, and share some too!
Your business is your baby. You’ve poured yourself into it over the years – given it your time, attention, love, money, and pretty much everything else you’ve had. You’ve had your ups and downs, but this… this is different. This is more than just a “down” period. You’re in real trouble now. Your business is drowning...
What does it take to be named the best small business in America? I recently had a chance to find out. I placed a call to Red Frog Events, a $60 million Chicago company recently named the 2011 Dream Big Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I was curious how a company gets singled out as the cream of the crop -- what have they got going on that most of American business doesn't?...
Do you enjoy traveling for business? It may surprise you, but it’s one of the things I love the most. I love taking a plane up to San Francisco for a conference, or flying out to Boston for a summit, or even taking a red eye to New York City for a business meeting. Over the years, I’ve found some great tips and tools that have made traveling much more enjoyable...
Whether you already know it or not, your company has its own company culture. And you’ve helped to shape it. The question is: Are you helping to develop the right culture for your organization?
Office managers and marketing managers choosing “give aways” for trade shows, user groups and other networking events often turn to product catalogs that come in the mail. They look at 20 different kinds of pens, scores of desk accessories, bags, t-shirts and other tchotchkes, and just pick what looks best. But that’s a big mistake...
When longtime business investor Ted Karkus took the helm of zinc-lozenge company Cold-EEZE in 2009, the Pennsylvania-based company was in disarray. From a high of roughly $30 million in 2005, sales had fallen to under $15 million last year. Now, Karkus says sales are rebounding and he's forecasting strong growth for 2011...
As businesses scramble to grow revenues, many forget their customer service plays a huge role and can make or break a sale. Lots of companies profess to offer great customer service -- but do you know what that really looks like? Do you know how to deliver exceptional customer service. Micah Solomon says consumers are savvier than ever before and have the luxury of being picky...
Let’s travel back in time, about 15 or 20 years ago, when there were still plenty of businesses that didn’t own computers and had no intention of buying a computer anytime soon. It’s funny to think back that far and think how stubborn those businesses were. It’d already been proven that computers helped businesses run more effectively and efficiently. Yet businesses still resisted...